Three indications guiding my path towards a fresh spiritual journey
From Christianity to Bahá'í Faith: A Journey of Spiritual Evolution
A spiritual seeker's journey from Christianity to the Bahá'í Faith is a testament to the power of progressive revelation, a belief shared by both religions that divine truth is gradually revealed by God through a series of messengers across various religions.
Raised in a small town in the United States within the evangelical and reformed tradition, the individual attended Sunday school and church every week. Their spiritual life flourished, participating in Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, Youth Fellowship, and church choir. In 1982, they considered pursuing a master's degree in Christian education or becoming an ordained minister, but life took a different turn with morning sickness causing them to drop out of school.
As their children grew, the individual experienced a sense of unease and disillusionment with their church. This led to a reflection on the possibility that different prophets throughout history might be part of a single religion. In 1988, during a guided meditation by Dr. Bernie Siegel, they had a profound experience that led them to recognize a man dressed in a white tunic and turban—a figure they later identified as Abdu'l-Baha, the son of Bahá'u'lláh, the prophet and founder of the Bahá'í Faith.
At the time, the individual had no knowledge of Abdu'l-Baha, but the encounter left a lasting impression. They felt guilty for rejecting him and asked for his forgiveness. Comfort was found in the words of the Bab, the herald and forerunner of Baha'u'llah, about God's forgiveness.
The individual's first church was replaced by the United Church of Christ (UCC) in 1957, which they joined when moving to a new city. The UCC's global, progressive, and liberal mindset on worldly affairs resonated with the individual. However, it was not until they had the encounter with Abdu'l-Baha that they began to understand the similarities between the Bahá'í Faith's concept of progressive revelation and their own reflections.
The Bahá'í Faith champions the idea that revelations from Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, and others are part of a continuous, unfolding divine plan, culminating in the most recent manifestation, Bahá'u'lláh, whose teachings bring unity and advancement appropriate for the current age. From a Christian perspective, this principle reframes the understanding of Christianity within a broader, evolutionary divine context, encouraging the embrace of Bahá’u’lláh as the latest messenger, fulfilling prophecies within Christianity and other faiths, and promoting unity among religions and humanity.
Thus, the Bahá'í Faith recognizes the essential truths of earlier divine revelations and builds upon them in a progressive, harmonious manner. This theological framework, emphasizing unity, ongoing revelation, and spiritual evolution, often motivates converts from Christianity who seek a pluralistic and evolving understanding of God’s guidance to embrace the Bahá'í Faith. The individual will describe the direction these experiences led them in a future essay.
- In their quest for spiritual growth, the individual began to explore aspects of life beyond their Christian upbringing, developing an interest in lifestyle, fashion-and-beauty, as they started to express themselves in new ways.
- As their spiritual journey continued, the individual found themselves pondering relationships, not just between people, but also the relationship between their faith and the world, seeking a greater understanding of unity and harmony.
- With a growing curiosity, the individual delved into diverse topics such as pets, travel, cars, and sports, finding parallels between these worldly pursuits and the principles of the Bahá'í Faith, such as the unity of humanity and the importance of service.
- As the weather changed with each season, so too did the individual's spiritual journey, evolving and growing in directions they had never imagined, eventually finding solace and connection in the Bahá'í Faith's teachings on spiritual evolution and progressive revelation.
